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Nintendo has announced that it will be suing the developer of the hit monster-taming game, Palworld, for infringing on multiple patents. 

In its statement, Nintendo said, “The lawsuit seeks an injunction against the defendants and compensation for damages… In order to protect the valuable intellectual property that we have built up through many years of hard work, we will continue to take the necessary measures against any infringement of our intellectual property.”

This comes almost eight months after Palworld's monumental January launch, selling more than 5 million copies and achieving an average viewership on Twitch of 147,264, with 58.3m hours watched. But Palworld instantly drew comparisons to the third-best-selling video game series of all time, thanks to glaringly obvious similarities between its "Pals" and Pokemon. The entire gaming world expected Nintendo's infamous legal team to speedily come down on their heads, and when that didn’t happen many people assumed that Palworld was safe.

While Pocketpair's CEO Takuro Mizobe tried to get ahead of legal troubles earlier this year by saying they had "no intention of infringing upon the intellectual property of other companies", it was only days later that Pokemon Company said it would begin to "investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights."

That investigation has finally led Nintendo to officially file suit against Pocketpair, as many predicted nearly 8 months ago.

No stranger to throwing legal Poké Balls

This is far from the first time Nintendo has flexed its legal muscles and instances like this come with the territory, as it's one of the oldest and biggest video game companies in the world.

Nintendo famously sued video rental chain Blockbuster for copyright infringement after it photocopied game manuals for rental games that were missing guides. It has issued so many cease-and-desist orders to fan-made games that hobbyist developers now don't even release news until the games are ready to play. And there’s no shortage of emulation sites that have been hit with lawsuits for offering Nintendo ROMs.

If you’re at all familiar with Pokémon, one glance at Palworld's creatures is enough to see that Pocketpair may have borrowed a little too much from the monster-catching monarch. However, Palworld is also a third-person action-adventure survival game, complete with combat, exploration, and base-building – and vastly different from anything you'll find in a Pokémon game.

While it’s not surprising that Nintendo is suing the developer, it is curious that it took this long for the lawsuit to materialize. Palworld's concurrent player numbers now generally hover between 15 to 30K per day, down significantly versus its launch-month high of over 2 million – so Nintendo can now at least tackle Pocketpair without millions of fans rallying in protest. 

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• Google Gemini Live's AI voice now comes in ten more styles

The founder of Oculus VR is returning to headsets—this time for the battlefield.

Google's Gemini Live AI assistant has a new range of voices for communicating with Android users. The ten new voices each have a unique way of speaking tied to personalities and accents. 

Furthermore, in keeping with the astronomical theme of Gemini, the voices are all named for constellations, stars, or star-related phenomena, such as Orion, Capella, and Nova, respectively. 

The voices were initially exclusive to Gemini Advanced subscribers but are now available to all users, which makes them more accessible and fits with Google's efforts to make Gemini a part of every user's experience. Google claims the speech engine used for the voices makes them more emotionally expressive and able to handle interactions in a way closer to human conversation. 

Regardless of the voice you choose, the AI will still be able to talk and complete tasks at the same time. And if you didn't understand something the AI said, it keeps a text transcript saved for you to review or even reset.

You can now explore up to 10 different voices with Gemini Live *and* change up your selection at any time. Take a listen here or in the app and let us know your favorite(s) in the replies. pic.twitter.com/ZflSi7n4NRSeptember 17, 2024

Gemini Live forever

It's notable that the Gemini Live voices are rolling out just as OpenAI plans to announce significant improvements to the ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode. ChatGPT in Voice Mode currently struggles with longer conversations and has other limits that Gemini Live and its larger context window don't. Whether the updated Advanced Voice Mode will include as many voice options hasn't been revealed yet as of yet. 

Google's expansion of Gemini Live and the introduction of new voices help highlight how Google wants Gemini to seem like more than just Google Assistant, but as a personalized aide adaptable to your preferences. Making them free will likely enhance Gemini's place in people's lives, especially as the company rolls out new integrations and connections to Google products. revealed 

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Here are some hints, and the answers, for the Sept. 19 Strands puzzle, No. 200.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections No. 466 for Sept. 19.

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1188 for Sept. 19.

Snapchat's AI experiments are reaching a new level of maturity, as exemplified by the new AI Lens that will let you see how you might look in the future. Aging your appearance is just a taste of the upgraded AI on Snapchat, as the company seemed eager to show off how AI is becoming integrated even more into its platform, including the latest version of the Spectacles.

The most notable new feature is "My Selfie," which employs AI and photos of you to produce a digital avatar based on your selfies. You can then ask the social media app to create AI-generated images and place your virtual self in them. 

It's a lot like the "Imagine" feature from Meta, which also makes an AI-produced version of you to embed in AI-generated images. A bonus of the Snapchat version is that you can generate images of yourself as well as your friends if they have made an AI avatar and opted into the program.

If you subscribe to Snapchat+, your real experiences with friends also get an AI upgrade. Snapchat has boosted the Memories feature for all users with collages and videos. But with Snapchat+, you'll also have more AI-produced information in the form of captions and curated Lenses for the old pictures, all adding detail and reworking the images in new ways. 

AI Lens Life

Information is also key to Snapchat's upgraded My AI chatbot, which uses ChatGPT-based models to converse. Snap announced it is improving the chatbot's problem-solving capabilities with visual processing. That means the bot can now interpret images, answer questions about parking rules based on a picture of a sign, identify plants from a photo you take, and even translate text from another language. Like the AI avatar, this feature might also sound familiar if you've used ChatGPT's image features or the Gemini-powered Google Lens.

If you're feeling creative but aren't a fan of the Lens that makes you look old, there's a lot of opportunity for you in the new AI-powered tools in Lens Studio. The new Easy Lens tool lets you design a Lens by writing a text prompt that can theoretically do anything you might imagine from a Snapchat filter. 

For more advanced creators, the GenAI Suite has several new tools, including Body Morph, which produces three-dimensional characters and outfits based on text prompts or uploaded images. There's also the new Animation Blending feature, which combines multiple animation clips to move smoothly.

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Mild spoilers follow for Agatha All Along's first three episodes. Full spoilers also follow for WandaVision.

"Who asked for this?" – it's an eye-roll-inducing question that Marvel fans, myself included, have seen asked countless times since Agatha All Along was first announced in November 2021. In some people's minds, the forthcoming WandaVision spin-off is not just a superfluous addition to the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but also a miniseries that, if handled incorrectly, might even sully the reputation of Marvel Studios' first-ever – and arguably most popular – TV project.

The comic-book giant may not have polled its global fanbase on whether an Agatha Harkness-led show was necessary, but I'm glad they didn't. Agatha All Along is an enchanting, kooky, and occasionally spine-chilling WandaVision companion piece that confidently straddles the exploratory line between its weighty content, expansion of the MCU's horror-filled corner, and being a campy romp that puts a modern spin on classic witch tropes.

Previously on WandaVision

Agatha All Along opens with the titular witch still trapped in Wanda Maximoff's spell  (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney Plus)

Agatha All Along begins three years after WandaVision's final episode, with Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) still trapped in the reality-altering spell that Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch placed her in after their Westview showdown.

However, with the aid of her spurned and unhinged ex Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), plus a mysterious Familiar known as Teen (Heartstopper's Joe Locke), Agatha manages to claw her way out of her Hex-based mind-prison. Unfortunately, her problems aren't over – not only is Agatha still powerless after Wanda drained her of her sorcery-based abilities, but a powerful and covert organization called The Salem Seven are hunting her for reasons unknown.

If it sounds like there's a fair amount to set up in Agatha All Along, that's because there is

But Teen has a solution: all Agatha has to do is survive The Witches' Road, a life-threatening realm that few witches have successfully navigated, and she'll regain her powers. Cue a mind-bending, fun-filled, and harrowing journey "down, down, down The Witches' Road" that'll test Agatha, Teen – he wants to walk it for reasons of his own – and their hastily assembled coven of fellow misfit magic-wielders, all of whom are vital in traversing the dangerous dimension.

If it sounds like there's a fair amount to set up in Agatha All Along, that's because there is. Like WandaVision, I found the first of its two planned TV spin-offs to be as much of a slow burn as Marvel's first Disney Plus foray, though I suspect some will argue that, given the new characters it has to introduce (more on this later) and the fact it's been over three years since WandaVision debuted on one of the world's best streaming services, a methodical approach to its early narrative is a necessity.

Agatha All Along only begins to find its feet in its second episode (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney Plus)

Even so, Agatha bizarrely spends the bulk of episode one in the warped reality of a crime drama not unlike True Detective, or Scandinavian police procedurals including Wallander and The Killing. Sure, it's a novel expansion of the television/sitcom genre storytelling that WandaVision was built upon, but I found it to be extraneous from plot and runtime perspectives. MCU newcomers, for whom Agatha All Along may be their introduction into Marvel's ever-evolving cinematic franchise, will benefit from this creativity-laced plot exposition but, as a Marvel veteran, it added little to my viewing experience.

Agatha All Along ratchets up the humor, spookiness, and high-stakes moments that'll... define this hair-raising yet rollicking series

Once Agatha breaks out of her mental jail, however, things quickly heat up – and I'm not just talking about her sexually charged run-in with Rio at Agatha's Westview home. 

From the enigma that is Locke's Teen and the revelations about The Witches' Road, to the assembling of Agatha's maverick coven and the creepy introduction of The Salem Seven, Agatha All Along ratchets up the humor, spookiness, and high-stakes moments that'll come to define this hair-raising yet rollicking Marvel Phase 5 series. Showrunner Jac Schaeffer, alongside her fellow writers and executive producers, has struck a pleasing tonal and visual balance that instils Agatha All Along with its own identity without discarding many of the elements that made WandaVision one of the best Disney Plus shows around – a balancing act that few shows, especially ones with a superhero and/or comic-book slant, have executed effectively.

Witches, assemble!

Teen (first left), Rio (second left), and Jennifer Kale (right) are all part of Agatha's fractious coven (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney Plus)

Agatha All Along is at its bewitching best, though, once the titular sorceress' ragtag group of dark-magic outcasts join forces – albeit reluctantly, in some cases – to traverse The Witches' Road.

Okay, it's the mysteries surrounding Teen and The Salem Seven that'll initially spark the most interest in viewers, and I fully expect to see numerous wild fan-theories about their identities immediately after the two-episode premiere. Until those puzzling subplots are resolved in later episodes, though, Agatha All Along's biggest strength lies in its compelling character-driven moments, and a dysfunctional family vibe that reminded me of another of Marvel's found families in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Agatha All Along hangs its hat on compelling character-driven moments and a dysfunctional family vibe

And maladjusted Agatha's coven most certainly is. Debra Jo Rupp's Sharon Davies, the comic relief and only non-sorceress of the group, notwithstanding, the other witches – Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Kamata), Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), and Plaza's Rio – all have an ax to grind with Agatha. Despite their obvious dislike for the conniving and callous protagonist and her suspicious plan, the quintet agree to joining Agatha's quest with the promise that grand rewards await them, which provides ample opportunity for spicy and venomous melodrama, as well as lashings of delightfully awkward humor, to unfold amid their strained collaboration.

Teen and Agatha's dynamic takes center stage throughout Agatha All Along (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney Plus)

I venture we'll learn more about these characters' backstories, their inner demons, group dynamics, and relations to Agatha (the one she shares with Rio will be especially fascinating, given Plaza's lethal-yet-aloof scene-stealing performance) as the series progresses. But, it's evident from the get-go that the serendipitous nature of Agatha and Teen's bond is what'll really drive the plot forward. Hahn and Locke have a natural chemistry that's easy on the eye, subtly amusing in its unexpected buddy-cop makeup, and, even this early into its run, emotionally impactful. Keen as I am to see them interact with the rest of the supporting cast, I hope their relationship doesn't get lost in the fabric of the show with each passing episode.

Scare and serenade me more, Marvel

Aubrey Plaza's Rio Vidal has a small but significant role to play in the first three episodes (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

If there's one thing I'm disappointed with so far, it's Agatha All Along's reluctance to wholeheartedly lean into its horror and musical sensibilities.

I really want to see Agatha All Along adopt a braver, fright-filled stance

Okay, on the terror front, Agatha All Along is an extension of WandaVision's 16-plus/TV-14 story, so it's bound to the same or similar thematic, visual, and storytelling guidelines that its progenitor was. And yes, as part of a huge Disney Plus show update delivered by Marvel TV chief Brad Winderbaum in July, I should've known that a series Winderbaum labeled as a "Marvel brand of scary" was probably going to play it safe in the gore, jump-scare and psychological horror stakes. Heck, Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night, which were similarly teased as full-blown horror offerings, didn't go as hard as I liked, even though I enjoyed them immensely.

Agatha All Along's early episodes are atmospherically spooky, rather than genuinely terrifying (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney Plus)

Unfortunately, while Agatha All Along's trailers and awesome, horror film-inspired posters suggest it might not only break the mould, but also fully embrace a genre it's tailor-made for, it's yet to convince me that it will. There are unsettling moments, such as The Salem Seven's creepy introduction as they advance on Agatha's home in episode 2. Some brief psychological horror sequences that occur in its third episode are also discomforting in their art direction, filmmaking style, and deep-seated trauma characteristics.

I was anticipating more in the way of catchy original songs in Agatha's early episodes

Those instances, though, are the extent of the scares in Marvel's final live-action show of 2024. The comic titan has already proved it can go further in in the supernatural, body- horror, and Lovecraftian stakes – just look at the Scarlet Witch scenes in Doctor Strange 2, the cosmic trippiness of its forebear, or even the undead nightmare scenes in Spider-Man: Far From Home and What If...? season 1's zombies episode. I really want to see Agatha All Along adopt a braver, fright-filled stance in the six episodes that follow, especially as it leads us down the horror-based rabbit hole with its Hereditary-meets-The Wizard of Oz storyline.

Contrary to popular belief, Agatha All Along isn't a full-blown musical, either (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

And what of its musical elements? Considering that Agatha's standalone series has been billed as a dark comedy musical since rumors of the WandaVision spin-off's existence first emerged in October 2021, I was anticipating more catchy and original songs in its early episodes. The Ballad of the Witches' Road is the only addition thus far, albeit it's a pleasingly constructed ditty that, thanks to the harmonies and vocal range of the show's primary and supporting cast, wonderfully builds to a euphonious crescendo in episode 2's final act. 

As with its somewhat underwhelming horror characteristics, I'm willing to give it more time to deliver on the musical front. Maybe my confidence is misplaced, but I'm optimistic that Agatha All Along will deliver more frights and earworm jingles to assuage my concerns in the weeks ahead.

My verdict

Three episodes in, Agatha All Along is an unapologetically queer, amusingly catty, and enchantingly twisted MCU offering that'll make for ideal viewing this Halloween. Unless it becomes a full-blown horror spectacle, though, I doubt that it'll turn out to be the dark and spine-chilling show I'd really like it to be; and even if it does, I doubt it'll ever become my favorite MCU TV series of all time. 

Nonetheless, there's enough cackle-inducing entertainment value in its morally ambiguous characters, spectral glamor, and – like The Penguin on Max – the magical deconstruction of its tragic villain lead for MCU veterans and casual horror enthusiasts to enjoy. I'm sure its target audience will get an even bigger kick out of what's on offer, too – and, after all of those "who asked for this?" questions, Marvel won't care one jot about those dissenting voices if they do.

Agatha All Along's first two episodes are out now on Disney Plus. New episodes air weekly until the two-part finale on October 30 (US) and October 31 (UK and Australia).

In an Intelligence Committee hearing with representatives from Google, Apple, and Meta on Wednesday, senators on stressed that foreign influence is far from a solved problem.

Just ahead of Apple’s AirPods 4 hitting shelves on Friday, September 20, 2024, Bose is unveiling a new pair of earbuds priced identically at $179 / £ 179. Unlike AirPods 4 with noise cancelling, the new Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have ear-tips that seal off your ears and pair that feature with a promised long runtime and strong active noise cancellation.

First, a quick history lesson, though. While these do have the name Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, they are not a new generation of the QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra or an update on our pick for Best ANC, the QCE2, which is sadly no longer officially sold by the brand. These new QuietComfort Earbuds have a more mid-range price and are likely the spiritual successor to the Sport Earbuds from years past.

Furthermore, these are the entry points to the Bose earbud lineup under the $299 Ultra Open Earbuds or $299 QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. These will be most similar to the latter with a slightly oversized look and a design that incorporates ear-tips. Now, if Bose’s mid-range QuietComfort Earbuds have already sold you, they are up for order now, but ahead, we’re breaking down what is new.

(Image credit: Bose)

While the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are priced in line with Apple’s AirPods 4, these earbuds take a different approach entirely. Starting with the design, Bose sticks with a slightly oversized look that will protrude from the ear and let you proudly display your color choice. You can pick between Black, White Smoke, or Chilled Lilac. With silicone ear-tips and a stability band, the QuietComfort Earbuds are decidedly not open-ear and aim for a full seal with your ear canal. 

This should aid in active noise cancellation, reducing environmental sounds to a silence, and avoiding audio leakage. You’ll be able to pick from a few sizes of both tips and bands in the box. If you enjoy listening to music while working out or walking in the rain, you know that these do meet the IPX4 water and sweat resistance rating. 

Powering the audio experience is a custom setup from Bose and it’s described as delivering a high-quality experience that can be customized within the companion Bose QC Earbuds app for Android and iOS. There you can choose between 5 EQ presets or create your own. 

Each earbud features three microphones for voice pickup and active noise cancellation. With the latter, the onboard processor and a Bose algorithm cancel out the noise around you and leave you silent. We have high hopes for how well this will perform, especially given how previous Bose earbuds have been tested. You can also make some environmental sounds in “Aware” mode, similar to Apple’s Transparency mode on AirPods.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds support multipoint pairing out of the box, which the QuietComfort Ultra still lacks. These boast Bluetooth 5.3, which should ensure strong connectivity. There is also a new feature that will let the earbuds act as a remote shutter for taking selfies, and Bose has its own voice assistant that can be accessed by saying, “Hey headphones.”

Battery life is looking pretty sharp. Bose promises 8.5 hours of playback on a full charge, and the case provides 2.5 full recharges for 29.75 hours of total listening. That’s close to the Apple AirPods 4, which claim a 30-hour total playtime, but you only get five hours from Apple’s earbuds before they’ll need charging (which, let’s face it, isn’t that long in today’s money). Bose’s carrying case can be recharged via USB-C or a wireless charging mat. 

(Image credit: Bose)

Overall, the features stack up on paper to what could be an excellent pair of earbuds at a great price. It’s also clear that while Bose offers an open-ear pair of earbuds, the brand is returning to basics with a more affordable pair of earbuds designed to deliver strong noise cancellation in a design with proper ear tips.

Bose is already taking orders for the new QuietComfort Earbuds, and according to the company’s online store, they should be delivered in all three colors as soon as September 23. So, if you’re sold, you can lock in an order now, and we’ll be back with our thoughts as soon as we can go hands-on.

That's not all that Bose had to unveil, though. Alongside the QuietComfort Earbuds, Bose unveiled the new Smart Soundbar which keeps the look and feature-set of the Smart Soundbar 600, but tosses in an A.I. Dialogue Mode to adjust tone and EQ in real-time. It's up for order now at $499.99.

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Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #466) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CHAMPAGNE
• SUPER
• NOVA
• REUNION
• BIRTHDAY
• NATURE
• NICE
• COCKTAIL
• ANGERS
• EXTRA
• SURPRISE
• MASTERPIECE
• HYPER
• FRONTLINE
• OVER
• DINNER

NYT Connections today (game #466) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: Exaggerated start
• Green: Celebration type
• Blue: TV shows
• Purple: Gallic locations

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #466) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: PREFIX MEANING “VERY”
• GREEN: KINDS OF PARTIES
• BLUE: PBS SHOWS
• PURPLE: PLACES IN FRANCE

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #466) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #466, are…

• YELLOW: PREFIX MEANING “VERY” EXTRA, HYPER, OVER, SUPER
• GREEN: KINDS OF PARTIES BIRTHDAY, COCKTAIL, DINNER, SURPRISE
• BLUE: PBS SHOWS FRONTLINE, MASTERPIECE, NATURE, NOVA
• PURPLE: PLACES IN FRANCE ANGERS, CHAMPAGNE, NICE, REUNION

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

Today's Connections really got my brain working – which, I guess, is the intention. Green – KINDS OF PARTIES – was not a difficult one, with BIRTHDAY, COCKTAIL, DINNER and SURPRISE standing out, but I found yellow and blue harder. The problem was largely one of misdirection, with NOVA and SUPER and HYPER all sounding like they could go together, but eventually I settled on the PREFIX MEANING “VERY” angle and solved yellow.

That left blue and purple, and here I was stuck. Maybe if I watched US TV I'd have had a better chance with PBS SHOWS, but I'm in the UK and so I'm not really aware of the likes of MASTERPIECE and FRONTLINE. My attention was instead focused on ANGERS – an odd word for Connections, and one that didn't appear to go with anything else. But the word NICE was also nagging away at me, and I knew that CHAMPAGNE is a French place too, so put them together with REUNION and ANGERS and solved purple.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, 18 September, game #465)

• YELLOW: GATHERING SPOT OUTSIDE A RESIDENCE DECK, PORCH, STOOP, YARD
• GREEN: LOWDOWN DISH, DOPE, INFO, SCOOP
• BLUE: KINDS OF REELS BLOOPER, DEMO, HIGHLIGHT, SIZZLE
• PURPLE: CARTOON DOGS MINUS “Y” DROOP, GOOF, LAD, SNOOP

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #200) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Work out the bugs

NYT Strands today (game #200) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• WARE
• SCARE
• MIRE
• TIRE
• BEET
• PLIER

NYT Strands today (game #200) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Minibeasts

NYT Strands today (game #200) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: top, 3rd column

Last: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #200) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #200, are…

• SPIDER
• MILLIPEDE
• BEETLE
• TERMITE
• EARWIG
• SPANGRAM: CREEPYCRAWLIES

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

This is a bit of a strange Strands game, in that the spangram is very long and only leaves room for five other answers. Given that these are all pretty easy, that makes for a potentially quick solve and a short game.

It's not necessarily an unsatisfying one (for me at least, because I love bugs), but I do wish it had been slightly harder. Once I spotted SPIDER the theme was obvious, and the spangram itself was easy too. Its position on the board left little room for doubt about what most of the other solutions were, and I was done in about five minutes max.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday 18 September, game #199)

• KNIFE
• PLIERS
• HAMMER
• SCREWDRIVER
• WRENCH
• LEVEL
• SPANGRAM: TOOLCHEST

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now nearly 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #969) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #969) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #969) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #969) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #969) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• M

• O

• D

• L

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #969) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #969, are…

• MARRY
• OWING
• DICEY
• LUCKY

There's no need to worry about today's Quordle; it's a very straightforward one that doesn't really hold any complications for anyone. Yeah, MARRY has a repeated R – but R is a common letter and MARRY a common word. That's pretty much it as far as traps go here – I'd be surprised if too many people lost their Quordle streak today.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #969) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #969, are…

• LEASE
• HASTE
• SKIER
• LOGIN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #968, Wednesday 18 September: CEDAR, VENOM, MIGHT, MEDIC
• Quordle #967, Tuesday 17 September: ETHOS, COUNT, PRINT, THREE
• Quordle #966, Monday 16 September: ROUGE, SWAMP, FUGUE, UNDUE
• Quordle #965, Sunday 15 September: VILLA, SMOKE, BULKY, THRUM
• Quordle #964, Saturday 14 September: ESSAY, GENRE, WIMPY, CHUTE
• Quordle #963, Friday 13 September: LEANT, ORGAN, FILLY, PLAIT
• Quordle #962, Thursday 12 September: ARBOR, STARK, LEAVE, GOOFY
• Quordle #961, Wednesday 11 September: ROUGH, CACTI, SAVOY, ODDER
• Quordle #960, Tuesday 10 September: PLUMB, SEIZE, EARLY, ASSET
• Quordle #959, Monday 9 September: CHIRP, BEADY, THETA, MINUS
• Quordle #958, Sunday 8 September: TEASE, AGATE, PRIDE, PLATE
• Quordle #957, Saturday 7 September: LASSO, TILDE, BUNCH, PRONG
• Quordle #956, Friday 6 September: FARCE, WOOLY, LOCAL, NIGHT
• Quordle #955, Thursday 5 September: SNIDE, EGRET, AMONG, SHINY
• Quordle #954, Wednesday 4 September: POINT, WITTY, GAFFE, ABUSE
• Quordle #953, Tuesday 3 September: ATOLL, ANGER, OCEAN, SWEEP
• Quordle #952, Monday 2 September: HABIT, LODGE, PLAIN, DRIFT
• Quordle #951, Sunday 1 September: RABBI, CRAWL, GUPPY, BRAND
• Quordle #950, Saturday 31 August: AWOKE, TIBIA, ITCHY, SNACK
• Quordle #949, Friday 30 August: ARISE, OLDER, ISSUE, ERUPT

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